Apple has patented a piece of technology which would allow government and police to block transmission of information, including video and photographs, from any public gathering or venue they deem “sensitive”, and “protected from externalities.”

­In other words, these powers will have control over what can and cannot be documented on wireless devices during any public event.

And while the company says the affected sites are to be mostly cinemas, theaters, concert grounds and similar locations, Apple Inc. also says “covert police or government operations may require complete ‘blackout’ conditions.”

“Additionally,” Apple says,” the wireless transmission of sensitive information to a remote source is one example of a threat to security. This sensitive information could be anything from classified government information to questions or answers to an examination administered in an academic setting.”

The statement led many to believe that authorities and police could now use the patented feature during protests or rallies to block the transmission of video footage and photographs from the scene, including those of police brutality, which at times of major events immediately flood news networks and video websites.

Apple patented the means to transmit an encoded signal to all wireless devices, commanding them to disable recording functions.

Those policies would be activated by GPS, and WiFi or mobile base-stations, which would ring-fence (“geofence”) around a building or a “sensitive area” to prevent phone cameras from taking pictures or recording video.

Apple may implement the technology, but it would not be Apple’s decision to activate the “feature” – it would be down governments, businesses and network owners to set such policies, analyzes ZDNet technology website.

Having invented one of the most sophisticated mobile devices, Apple now appears to be looking for ways to restrict its use.

“As wireless devices such as cellular telephones, pagers, personal media devices and smartphones become ubiquitous, more and more people are carrying these devices in various social and professional settings,” it explains in the patent. “The result is that these wireless devices can often annoy, frustrate, and even threaten people in sensitive venues.”

Listen up kids, I come to bring you knowledge from the old-times. Wise men speak of a device built specifically for recording video with none of the trappings of the NSA listening devices we all carry around.

A little off topic….If Eric Holder gets his wish for gun owners to wear a smart gun bracelet in order to fire your gun, it’s possible that too could be turned off just like they want to do to your phone camera.

The police, if they have nothing to hide will video/audio record every interaction they have with people. Failure to record an interaction means the benefit of the doubt goes to the individual(s) not the cop. It assumes the cop has something to hide. The reason for this is that for any person to initiate force and threat of force against another person or their property is a very serious issue.

I will say it here, but not loudly in an airport: “Hi, Jack (hijack).” LOL, just had to do it.

Now, as to whom I was addressing my comment to, it was to this jerk that only goes by “Jim,” the reason being that his most ignorant comment, “You shouldn’t be able to film people doing their job,” goes against the whole concept of government transparency. The Supreme Court has clearly stated that we the people, as sovereign citizens, have every right to record our
public servants, especially police, for the purpose of transparency.